How to verify your identity for your Login.gov account
Identity verification helps us protect all Veterans’ identities and prevent scammers from stealing your benefits. After you verify, you won’t need to verify again—unless you lose access to your account, or we need you to reverify to help meet even higher federal security standards in the future.
Follow the directions on this page. We’ll guide you step by step through each of the 4 parts of this process.
Section 1 of 4: Prepare
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Gather what you’ll need to complete the process.
Here’s what you must have:
- Your Login.gov username (your email address) and password, and
- Your current, valid driver’s license, other state-issued ID, or U.S. passport book, and
- Your Social Security number
Here’s what you’ll also need to complete the process online:
- A U.S. phone number, and
- A smartphone or tablet with a camera and ability to receive text messages, and
- Access to the method you set up for multifactor authentication (MFA), like your mobile or landline phone, authentication app, security key, or backup codes
Note: If you don’t have a U.S. phone number, Login.gov may be able to send a letter to your mailing address instead. If you don’t have a smartphone or tablet with a camera, you can verify your ID in person at a participating U.S. post office near you.
Don’t have a Login.gov account? You’ll need to create one and set up MFA to help protect your account first. Learn how to create a Login.gov account
Section 2 of 4: Get started on VA.gov
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Sign in to VA.gov with your Login.gov account.
Login.gov will prompt you to confirm it’s you with the MFA method you set up when you created your account.
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On your My VA dashboard, you’ll find an alert telling you to verify your identity for your account.
Select Verify your identity.
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The screen will change to confirm that you signed in with Login.gov and will prompt you to verify your identity with Login.gov.
Select Verify with Login.gov.
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We’ll take you back to the Login.gov sign-in screen. You’ll need to sign in again to start the identity verification process for VA.
Enter your email and password to sign in to Login.gov through VA again.
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You’ll get a screen with the message Let’s verify your identity for VA.
Select Continue.
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Read the requirements.
If you agree, check the box next to the Login.gov consent statement. Then select Continue.
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Choose if you want to verify online or in person at a participating U.S. post office near you.
We encourage you to try to verify online first. If it doesn’t work, you’ll still have the option to verify in person. Select Continue online.
Note: The instructions on this page are for verifying your identity online. If you choose to verify in person, Login.gov will take you through that process step by step.
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Section 3 of 4: Upload photos of your ID
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Choose how you’ll verify your ID.
We encourage you to use your smartphone or table to take photos of your ID and upload them to complete the process online if you can. To do this, enter your phone number. Then select Send link.
Note: If you started the process on a computer, you can use your phone or tablet to take photos and then switch back to the computer. If you don’t have a smartphone or tablet, you can choose to complete the process in person at a participating post office.
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Enter your mobile phone number.
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Check your mobile phone or tablet text messages.
You’ll find a text from Login.gov. Select the link in the message. This will take you to Login.gov to upload photos of your ID.
To help make sure you can upload your photos, use the best browser for your device:
- If you’re using an iPhone or iOS tablet, use the Safari web browser.
- If you’re using an Android phone or tablet, use the Google Chrome web browser.
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Take photos of your driver’s license, other state ID, or U.S. passport book.
First, select Take photo for the front of your ID. After you’ve taken that photo, select Take photo for the back of your ID.
Follow these tips to help take photos that Login.gov will accept:
- Make sure your ID—especially the barcode—is clean and undamaged.
- Prop up your ID against a solid, dark background.
- Turn off your camera’s flash and live photos functions.
- Make sure the area is well lit with indirect light. View the ID through your phone’s camera and make sure there are no glares or shadows. Adjust the ID placement and light until you get a clear, full image of your ID.
- Hold your phone as still as you can. Try to hold it with both hands, with your elbows at your sides, and your legs or hips braced against a door or wall. Or, prop the phone on a steady base, like a table, wall, or the ground.
- Make sure your camera view includes the entire ID and no part is cut off.
- Try to hold your breath for the moment when you take the photo.
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Check the photos on the upload screen.
If one or both are blurry, select Retake photo and try to take the photos again until you have 2 clear photos. Then select Submit.
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Login.gov will take a minute to process the images you uploaded of your ID. After your images successfully upload, you’ll go to the next step automatically.
Note: If your photos fail to upload, you can read Login.gov troubleshooting tips and try again. Or, you can choose to verify your identity in person at a participating U.S. post office.
Read Login.gov troubleshooting tips
Learn about how to verify your identity in person with Login.gov
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Section 4 of 4: Complete the verification process
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Enter your Social Security number. Then select Continue.
Verify the information you’ve entered so far is correct. Then select Continue again.
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Login.gov will share the information they've found for you. This information includes your name, date of birth, ID number, address, and Social Security number.
Make sure the information is correct. Select Update to update any information you may need to change. Then select Continue.
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Enter your primary U.S. phone number.
- In some cases, you may be able to select Verify your address by mail instead. You will have to wait 5 to 10 days to receive a letter in the mail and then follow the instructions to enter a verification code.
- If Login.gov doesn’t give you the option to verify by mail, you must verify by phone to successfully verify your identity.
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Re-enter your Login.gov password. Then select Continue.
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Login.gov will now share with you your personal key code. Select Download, Print, or Copy to save a copy of your key. Then select Continue.
Note: You’ll need this personal key in case you ever forget your password. If you reset your password and don’t have this key, you’ll have to verify your identity again.
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You’ll get a confirmation that you’ve verified your identity and that Login.gov will now share your information with VA. Click Agree and continue.
Your Login.gov account is now identity-verified for VA. You can sign in with this account to manage your VA benefits and health care online.
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Login.gov should send you back to VA.gov or the VA website you started from (such as the My HealtheVet website). Here’s what to know:
- If you get an error message, don’t worry. Close the tab. Open a new tab and sign in to the VA website again with your Login.gov account.
- If Login.gov doesn’t send you back to the VA website you started from, don’t worry. Open a new tab and sign in to the VA website again with your Login.gov account.
- If you get new VA terms of use to accept, read the terms and accept them if you agree. You must agree to our terms of use to manage your benefits and health care online.
- If you get a message that you need to register for My HealtheVet, you can register now. This process will connect your verified Login.gov account to your health data. Answer the questions and review the personal information shown to you.
Note: We encourage you to now delete any photos of your ID documents from your phone or computer.
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